Four more documentaries are coming to this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The festival announced the main slate of Galas and Special Presentations selections for TIFF 2024. It’s a big day for music docs, as Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, directed by Cosima Spender, brings a portrait of the Italian tenor to the red carpet. The film joins previously announced selection Elton John: Never Too Late in the Galas selection. Also representing documentary on the red carpet is Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Thom Zimny’s latest snapshot of the Boss. Zimny and Springsteen were previously at the festival with the concert film Western Stars, while Zimny’s Sylvester Stallone doc Sly closed last year’s Gala slate.
Also in today’s announcement is the Canadian premiere of Josh Greenbaum’s Will & Harper. The film was a runaway hit at Sundance earlier this year and will inevitably kick off an awards push at Toronto. Will & Harper is a comedic road trip with Will Ferrell and his friend/Saturday Night Live alumni, Harper Steele, following her transition. Over in the Special Presentations programme, TIFF will host the international premiere of Morgan Neville’s Piece by Piece. The film is an inventive biography of musician Pharrell Williams, told imaginatively with LEGO and a who’s who of musical A-listers among the talking heads. Also bringing a twist to music biopic is the Gala selection Better Man, which casts British pop star Robbie Williams in an original dramatic musical inspired by his own life. Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) directs.
TIFF also features the doc-to-drama adaptation The Fire Inside, which marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Rachel Morrison. The film is based on the 2015 boxing documentary T-Rex and features a script by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (Moonlight). Other films tapped for TIFF include the Canadian premiere of Joshua Oppenheimer’s dramatic feature debut The End, world premieres of Angelina Jolie’s Without Blood, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, and Gia Coppola’s Pamela Anderson vehicle The Last Showgirl. TIFF runs Sept. 5 to 15. Additional titles, including TIFF Docs and the Canadian slate, will be announced shortly.
GALAS
Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK
World Premiere
Better Man Michael Gracey | USA
Canadian Premiere
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa
Canadian Premiere
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*Eden Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere
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*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere
*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere
Meet the Barbarians Julie Delpy | France
International Premiere
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*Nutcrackers David Gordon Green | USA
World Premiere
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Oh, Canada Paul Schrader | USA
North American Premiere
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Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny | USA
World Premiere
*Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere
*The Deb Rebel Wilson | Australia
World Premiere
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The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
International Premiere
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The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo | Spain/United Kingdom
World Premiere
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The Return Uberto Pasolini | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere
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The Shrouds David Cronenberg | Canada/France
North American Premiere
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*The Wild Robot Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere
Unstoppable William Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere
Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum | USA
International Premiere
Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order)
*Previously announced
40 Acres R.T. Thorne | Canada
World Premiere
All of You William Bridges | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title
All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia | France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere
Anora Sean Baker | USA
Canadian Premiere
Bird Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews | Ireland/Belgium
World Premiere
Can I Get A Witness? Ann Marie Fleming | Canada
World Premiere
Carnival is Over Fernando Coimbra | Brazil/Portugal
World Premiere
Sales Title
Caught by the Tides Jia Zhang-Ke | China
North American Premiere
Conclave Edward Berger | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere
Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
Canadian Premiere
Hard Truths Mike Leigh | United Kingdom/Spain
World Premiere
Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
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Heretic Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Canada
World Premiere
I’m Still Here Walter Salles | Brazil/France
North American Premiere
I, the Executioner Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere
*K-Pops Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere
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Love in the Big City E.oni | South Korea
World Premiere
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Millers in Marriage Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere
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Misericordia Alain Guiraudie | Spain/Portugal/France
Canadian Premiere
*Nightbitch Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni | Zambia/United Kingdom/Ireland
North American Premiere
Piece by Piece Morgan Neville | USA
International Premiere
Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe | Norway
International Premiere
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Relay David Mackenzie | USA
World Premiere
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*Rez Ball Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere
Riff Raff Dito Montiel | USA
World Premiere
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Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada/Germany
North American Premiere
Sharp Corner Jason Buxton | Canada/Ireland
World Premiere
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*Shepherds Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere
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Sketch Seth Worley | USA
World Premiere
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The Assessment Fleur Fortuné | United Kingdom/Germany/USA
World Premiere
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The Cut Sean Ellis | United Kingdom
World Premiere
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The End Joshua Oppenheimer | Denmark/UK
Canadian Premiere
The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison | USA
World Premiere
The Girl with the Needle Magnus von Horn | Denmark/Poland/Sweden
North American Premiere
The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola | USA
World Premiere
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*The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere
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The Order Justin Kurzel | Canada/USA
North American Premiere
The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington | USA
International Premiere
*We Live in Time John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere
Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven | New Zealand/Australia
World Premiere
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Without Blood Angelina Jolie | USA/Italy
World Premiere
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Young Werther José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço | Canada
World Premiere
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Correction (July 22, 2024): This article previously miscategorized Better Man as a documentary.
